In December 2021, telecommunication prices, as measured by the respective sub-index of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), increased by 0.6% compared to the previous month due to the end of the “Black Friday” promotions. Compared with the same month a year earlier, prices increased by 1.1%. The average rate of change of telecommunication prices in the last twelve months was 0.5%. Since January, prices have increased by 1.2% due to the growth in the monthly fees of bundled offers.
The highest price increase in the EU occurred in Slovakia (+7.4%) while the highest decrease was recorded in Bulgaria (-3.2%). On average, telecom prices in the EU increased by 0.6%.
Prices have increased by 7.7% since the end of 2009
In a long-term perspective and on a cumulative basis, between the end of 2009 and December 2021, telecom prices in Portugal increased by 7.7%, while in the EU they decreased by 9.8%. The gap narrowed with the entry into force, on 15 May 2019, of new European rules regulating intra-EU communication prices.
A more detailed comparative analysis shows that between the end of 2009 and December 2021, telecom prices decreased by 17% in Bulgaria, while in Hungary, Portugal and Romania they increased by 1.6%, 7.7% and 19.1% respectively.
Recorded price changes
In the national market, NOWO offered the lowest monthly fees in eight cases out of a range of 13 services/offers, while MEO, Vodafone and NOS presented the lowest monthly fees for three, two and one type of services/offers, respectively.
On a year-on-year basis, 23 price increases and 3 price decreases were recorded. The following price changes stand out:
- the minimum monthly pay-TV (PTV) subscription fee increased by 30.8%, following the discontinuation of an offer from NOS;
- the minimum monthly fee for fixed broadband (FBB) decreased by 4.2% due to NOWO’s offer of a free first monthly charge for the basic service;
- the minimum monthly fee for mobile telephone service (MTS) with Internet increased by 50%, due to the discontinuation of the offers from NOWO and MEO (Uzo offer) with a monthly fee of EUR 5.00;
- the minimum monthly fee for mobile broadband via PC/Tablet increased by 4.3%, following the discontinuation of MEO’s offer of a free first monthly charge for the basic service;
- the minimum monthly fees of the FBB+PTV (+11.1%), PTV+Fixed Telephone Service (FTS) and 3P (+0.4%) offers increased due to discontinuation by NOWO of the TV option at EUR 2.5/month. Additionally, the monthly fee of the PTV+FTS offer increased by 77.6% with the discontinuation of an offer from NOS, for a total of 78.4%;
- the minimum monthly fees for 4P offers increased by 8.3% due to the discontinuation of NOWO’s MTS option with a monthly fee of EUR 5.00, and by 1.3% due to the discontinuation of NOWO’s TV option at EUR 2.5/month, for a total of 9.8%;
- The minimum monthly charge for 5P offers increased by 4.3%, following the discontinuation of Vodafone’s offer of a free first monthly charge for the basic service.
On a provider basis, MEO increased the monthly fees of seven services/offers. NOS increased the minimum monthly fees of five services/offers and decreased the monthly fee of one offer (MTS with mobile phone Internet - Mundo offer). Vodafone increased the minimum monthly fees of three services/offers and decreased the monthly fee of one offer, namely the Internet via PC/tablet MBB offer. In turn, NOWO increased the minimum monthly fees of eight services/offers and reduced the monthly fee of one service/offer (offer of the first monthly fee of the basic single-play FBB service).
The monthly fee increases of the 4P and 5P offers made available by MEO, NOS and Vodafone, that occurred in May and June 2021, are particularly noteworthy.
Consult the statistical report:
- Evolução dos preços das telecomunicações - dezembro de 2021 https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1714618
